At least three dead after Costa Concordia cruise ship runs aground off coast of Italy

At least three people are dead after the Costa Concordia cruise ship ran aground off the coast of Italy on Friday night. Around 4,200 people were forced to evacuate the ship when it hit difficulties near Tuscany, and as well as the three dead there are fears for three more.

The accident reportedly happened during dinner hour, about three or four hours after the vessel had set sail from the port of Civitavecchia. The vessel is reported to have hit some kind of obstacle, though it’s not clear whether that obstacle was a set of rocks or something else. Many of those who escaped the boat ended up on the island of Giglio.

It’s believed that there were approximately 3,200 passengers on the ship and a further 1,000 crew members, and that the vessel began to list after the accident, making the evacuation more difficult. This video shows the scene this morning, while this picture – which is so dramatic I’m not even certain it’s genuine – is also doing the rounds.